Free The Apple Of My Eye by Christine McGreggor Page A

won’t promise you that this will be easy. Love isn’t easy, you know. Love takes work, hard work and devotion. I can promise that he will make you happy, and that I am happy for you. Be blessed, my Lovey. Be content.”
                  The gentle pressure of the woman’s hands on Michelle’s shoulders disappeared. Hayes’ lips claimed her own, and her eyes drifted closed. Finally she was safe, loved, finally she belonged to him, and he to her. Satin soft petals began to rain down from the tree above. They fell upon the pair, brushing gently against them in a silent, fragrant shower of approbation.
    Michelle awoke to find golden spring sunshine streaming into the room. She stretched, looking around the small spare bedroom, the idyllic dream still echoing in her mind. A small picture hanging on the wall caught Michelle’s eye.  She stepped out of bed and went closer. There in black and white, stood the woman from Michelle’s dream. She was dressed in the same polka dot dress; her hair bobbed neatly, a string of pearls around her neck. A pretty little girl with a shy smile clung to her mother’s skirt, her hands fisted tightly in the apron. An older little boy in a cowboy hat and boots was riding a stick horse on her other side, showing off. The woman had her hands around each of the children, her eyes shining happily as she looked into the camera. “Gran.” Michelle murmured, touching the picture reverently.
                  “Shell, are you up yet?” Kara’s voice called from downstairs. “I think you’d better get a move on.”
                  “Yes, yes I’m up.” Michelle opened her bedroom door and called downstairs. “What’s going on?”
                  “Hayes just messaged your phone. He’s coming over with breakfast in half an hour.” Michelle squeaked in alarm and rushed over to her closet. She heard Kara make her way up the stairs. “Wear the rose pink chenille with the sparkly jeans. You can change when we start painting.”
                  “You’re a life saver Kara. How’s your eye?” Michelle winced as her friend walked in the room. Kara’s right eye had turned a wicked looking black purple.
                  “It looks worse than it feels, I’ll live.” She shrugged. “Still I think I will opt to tear down wallpaper while you go buy the paint. I don’t really want to go out in public like this. I’d make small children cry. I took the rest of the week off of work, too.”
                  “Your boss let you get away with that? She always seemed so strict about vacation policies.”
                  Kara looked bemused. “I told her what happened, and it was like I was talking to a completely different person. I think someone replaced her with the boss from a different dimension. She told me to take the whole week off, and she e-mailed me a brochure about the company’s legal representation benefits.” She shrugged. “I didn’t even know we had those.”
                  Michelle looked at her friend, surprised. “Wow, that’s great.”
                  “Yes, turn out she does have a heart after all. Now get a move on, so that you don’t scare off Batman with your morning breath.”
                  Michelle headed downstairs and jumped in the shower. By the time she was clean and dressed, Hayes was standing in the kitchen. Styrofoam boxes filled with breakfast foods were spread out on the island counter. “Good morning, Beautiful.” Hayes’ face lit up when he saw Michelle.
                  “Good morning, Hayes. Look at all of this food!” Michelle leaned over to admire the offerings.
                  “Apparently Batman here thinks we need to feed an army,” Kara teased as she scooped up a box full of pancakes. “Dibs.” She walked to the dining room with her prize, closing the kitchen door behind